Populations around the world are rapidly ageing. ... To ensure adults live not only longer but healthier lives, a Global strategy and action plan on ageing ... It also outlines the need to align health systems to the needs of older people, and the ...

The Global Ageing Network is proud to be hosting our 2017 Global Ageing Conference in partnership with CURAVIVA, 18-21 September 2017 at the Montreux ...

States With The Largest Elderly Population

Since the dawn of the 20th century, the total population of elderly in the United States has grown elevenfold.

With the advancements of modern medicine, the average life expectancy and therefore the percentage of senior citizens within the US continues to rise.

In 2013, there were 44.5 million elderly persons in the United States. This constitutes about 14.1 percent of America’s total population translating to one elderly person in every seven Americans. Statistics also show that come 2060 there will be approximately 98 million elderly people in the United States. By elderly we are referring to those who are aged 65 years and above.

Number of American Senior Citizens Will Continue to Rise

Interestingly enough, the age group of those aged 85 years old and above have shown the fastest growth in the United States over the last ten years. In the centuries since the country’s founding, US life expectancy at birth has more than doubled. It had increased to 47 years by the early 1900s, and further rose to 68 years by the year 1950. By 1991, life expectancy for women was at 79 years while men were at 72 years. Today, experts say that when American reach the age of 65, they can, on average, be expected to live for 17 years more. What’s more, with the technological advancements brought about by the medical field as well as the populace’s heightened awareness of healthy lifestyles and the benefits of exercise, it won’t come as a surprise that, with the spike in birth rates that brought them into the world and their longer life expectancies, the ‘Baby Boom’ generation has pushed the US elderly population to record levels as well.

California and Florida's Leading Positions

Of all the states in the United States, Florida has the highest percentage of senior citizens, followed closely by Maine, West Virginia, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Montana, Delaware, Hawaii, Oregon and Arizona. However, as far as the absolute statistics are concerned, California still holds the record as having the largest actual number of elderly persons.

It’s only logical that America’s most densely populated states are also those having the greatest numbers of persons who are 65 years of age and older. Back in 1993, there were nine states who had over 9 million elderly people. California, of course, topped the list then too, with Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and New Jersey behind it.

Regional Trends in Age Group Demographics

Intriguingly, the states with the biggest proportions of senior citizens were typically not the same as the states with the largest actual numbers of elderly. Exceptions to this were Pennsylvania, where 16 percent were 65 years and above, and Florida, where 19 percent were elderly. These two states were among the top 10 in terms of both total numbers and relative percentages of elderly, which were attributed to a net positive immigration of elderly greater than that seen among younger persons. Indeed, the younger generation’s migration patterns across the US have often been quite contrary to those seen in the older population.

The variations in each of the states’ age profiles are identified mainly by migration and fertility, especially since mortality rates are more or less uniform across the states. Furthermore, even though the southern states are considered alluring for people who are moving on to retirement, the Midwest and the Northeast states do have the highest percentages of elderly relative to their total populations.

Percentage Of Elderly Population per State

Rank

State

Percentage of population over 65 years old

1

Florida

19.06 %

2

Maine

18.24 %

3

West Virginia

17.78 %

4

Vermont

17.02 %

5

Pennsylvania

16.69 %

6

Montana

16.62 %

7

Delaware

16.43 %

8

Hawaii

16.07 %

9

Oregon

15.97 %

10

Arizona

15.90 %

11

Rhode Island

15.84 %

12

Iowa

15.79 %

13

New Hampshire

15.79 %

14

South Carolina

15.76 %

15

Arkansas

15.68 %

16

Ohio

15.50 %

17

Connecticut

15.44 %

18

Michigan

15.44 %

19

Alabama

15.39 %

20

Missouri

15.37 %

21

New Mexico

15.25 %

22

Wisconsin

15.21 %

23

South Dakota

15.16 %

24

Tennessee

15.07 %

25

Massachusetts

15.06 %

26

Kentucky

14.80 %

27

North Carolina

14.69 %

28

New Jersey

14.68 %

29

New York

14.66 %

30

Oklahoma

14.48 %

31

Nebraska

14.39 %

32

Idaho

14.38 %

33

Kansas

14.38 %

34

Indiana

14.27 %

35

Mississippi

14.27 %

36

Minnesota

14.25 %

37

North Dakota

14.16 %

38

Nevada

14.11 %

39

Washington

14.06 %

40

Illinois

13.88 %

41

Virginia

13.78 %

42

Maryland

13.76 %

43

Wyoming

13.75 %

44

Louisiana

13.57 %

45

California

12.87 %

46

Colorado

12.69 %

47

Georgia

12.37 %

48

Texas

11.49 %

49

Utah

10.02 %

50

Alaska

9.49 %

** District of Columbia – Washington ….The population 60 years since 2006 (first year of the baby boomers) has been steadily increasing almost 2 percent per year. If current city demographic trends continue the senior population will see the greatest growth from both ends of the age continuum; youngest seniors (age 60-69) and oldest (85 years of age and older) seniors. It is projected by 2015, almost 17 percent of the population could be at least 60 years of age and older, that is one out of every seven residents.